pregnancy week 5
5 weeks pregnant.
Tiny but mighty — your baby's tube-like heart is beating for the first time, even though you can't feel it yet.
Updated 29 July 2026 · Sources: NHS and ACOG
Your baby this week
A curved C-shape with a distinct head end and tail end. The heart is a tiny pulsing tube, visible on a high-resolution ultrasound by the end of next week.
- First heartbeats
- Neural tube closes
- Blood vessels form
- Hormones surge in you
What may be changing in your body
HCG is climbing quickly. Many people feel breast tenderness, fatigue, food aversions, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Early nausea can start anytime now.
Early nausea
Rising hCG can bring waves of queasiness at any time of day, not just the morning. For many people this week is where it quietly begins.
Frequent urination
Increased blood flow to the kidneys means more trips to the loo, even before the uterus is big enough to press on the bladder. It is an early sign that surprises many people.
Mood swings
Hormone levels are climbing faster than at almost any other time in your life, and tears or irritability over small things are common. It settles for most people as the first trimester progresses.
Metallic taste
A strange coppery taste in the mouth, called dysgeusia, is a peculiar but harmless early symptom. Citrus, mints or brushing your tongue can dull it.
Bloating and gas
Progesterone relaxes smooth muscle throughout the digestive tract, slowing everything down. A bloated, full feeling this early is hormonal, not the baby.
Cramping with bleeding — when to call
Mild cramps alone are normal at 5 weeks, but cramping paired with red bleeding, or pain that is sharp and one-sided, should be assessed. Call your midwife or doctor the same day.
Your week 5 checklist
- Book your first midwife (booking) appointment if you have not already — aim to have it by week 10
- Work out your estimated due date — 40 weeks from the first day of your last period
- Tell your doctor about any prescription medicines, including antidepressants — do not stop anything abruptly without advice
- Start a simple symptom note so you can answer questions accurately at your booking visit
A useful partner move this week
Symptoms often switch on this week, so watch for what suddenly becomes hard — cooking smells, early mornings, long evenings — and take those over without being asked. Start learning which foods and smells are turning her stomach and quietly keep them out of the house. If she is exhausted by 8pm, make that fine rather than something to apologise for.
What comes next
Arm and leg buds appear next week, and the embryo starts to look more like a tiny shrimp than a disc.
Common questions
Is cramping normal at 5 weeks pregnant?
Mild, period-like cramping is common at 5 weeks as the uterus grows and ligaments adjust, and on its own it is rarely a concern. The pattern to take seriously is cramping with red bleeding, or sharp pain concentrated on one side — call your midwife or doctor promptly if either occurs. When in doubt, it is always reasonable to ring and describe what you feel.
When will I see or hear a heartbeat?
Cardiac activity typically becomes detectable on a transvaginal ultrasound from about 6 weeks, though sometimes not until closer to 7. Scanning earlier than this often shows only a gestational sac, which can cause unnecessary worry. Most services deliberately schedule the first scan later so there is something clear to see.
Should I stop exercising now that I am pregnant?
No — if you exercised before pregnancy, it is generally safe and beneficial to continue at a similar level, adjusting intensity as your body asks. The exceptions are contact sports, activities with a fall risk, and scuba diving. If you were not active before, gentle walking or swimming is a good starting point; mention your plans at your booking appointment.
How many months is 5 weeks pregnant?
Pregnancy months do not divide evenly into weeks, so clinicians date pregnancy in weeks. At 5 weeks, you are in trimester one.